Attachment of components such as emblems, stickers, tags, and the like onto a surface using a pressure-sensitive adhesive such as double-sided tape is known. The attachment of such a component to a surface can include attaching or sticking one side of a piece of double-sided tape to a back side of the component, peeling a backing layer off of an opposite side of the tape, placing the newly exposed side of the double-sided tape up against the surface, and pressing against the component such that the newly exposed side of the tape is pressed against the surface and sticks thereon.
It is appreciated that the attachment of the component to the surface requires that the double-sided tape be pressed with sufficient force such that an appropriate “wet-out” of the tape against the surface is achieved. It is further appreciated that the term “wet-out” refers to the amount of surface covered by the double-sided tape in which there is direct contact between the surface and the tape, as opposed to the amount of surface covered by the tape in which there is space present between the surface and the tape. Stated differently, when a piece of tape is applied to a surface, there will be areas where there is direct contact between the surface and the tape and there will be areas where there is a space present between the surface and the tape.
In some instances the amount of wet-out is referred to as a percentage, i.e. the percentage of the surface covered by the tape in which there is direct contact between the surface and the tape. In addition, a large wet-out is typically desired such that a generally large sticking force is present between the tape and the surface when compared to a generally small wet-out out scenario.
The automotive industry is an industry in which emblems are attached to surfaces using pressure-sensitive adhesives. In addition, after an emblem is attached to a surface, it is commonly desired that the emblem remain attached for prolonged periods of time under a variety of environmental conditions. As such, a consistent application force against the emblem is desired. In addition, emblems can be attached to a surface of a motor vehicle by an individual placing an exposed surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive against a desired surface on the motor vehicle and pushing on the emblem with his or her palm, hand, etc.
In the event that a new or different emblem is to be attached to a motor vehicle and/or a different pressure-sensitive adhesive is to be used, testing related to attaching the emblem to a surface of a motor vehicle can be desirable in order to determine how much force should be applied to ensure a desired wet-out of the pressure sensitive adhesive occurs. In addition, training an individual to apply a generally specific and desired amount of force to the emblem is desired. However, heretofore methods and apparatus used to determine and/or test the wet-out properties of a pressure-sensitive adhesive have failed to provide a consistent force that would be required by an individual to attach the emblem to the surface and also failed to be able to train the individual with a sense of feel for how much pressure should be applied. Therefore, a push force simulator that can be used to measure and/or determine an amount of force should be applied in order to obtain a proper amount of wet-out for a given pressure-sensitive adhesive and/or emblem would be desirable.